Details of a successful air conditioning project developed in the Province of Guanacaste. Nosara, Costa Rica.
By Mitsubishi Electric
With amazing beaches, local culture and lush rainforest vegetation from the nearby Ostional Wildlife Refuge, Nosara, Costa Rica, it is a dream for lovers of surfing and water sports. Surfing is the main protagonist, with crowds of vacationers returning every year to ride the waves.
In 2013, when a local surf school lost its headquarters, six sponsors who became investors rushed to build a hotel the school could partner with. The hotel, Hotel Olas Verdes would take eco-tourism to the next level. The selection of air conditioning for the project: Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating Zoned Comfort Solutions.
Sustainability from scratch
Carl Kish, the co-founder of STOKE Certified (the first certified sustainability program, designed for surfing and ski resorts, destinations and events) was working as a sustainable tourism advisor in Nosara when investors asked him to join the project.
"They wanted to integrate sustainability from scratch," Kish said. "They conceived this project as a catalyst for the sustainable development of the area." Kish, as project manager, assembled a group to closely follow LEED's construction guidelines during the hotel's development. The central focus of the group was to choose equipment of good quality, efficient in energy consumption, especially in the selection of air conditioning.
Developing an air conditioning strategy
"The team really wanted inverter technology and low energy consumption in the compressors," explained Carlos Alfaro Alvarez of HITEC, the project's general contractor who designed, installed and now maintains the property's air conditioners. "Mitsubishi Electric's technology was the most efficient and had the best warranty of all the brands we reviewed, with seven years for the compressor and five years for the parts."
HITEC installed only five outdoor units for the entire hotel, which consists of a main clubhouse, a restaurant and 17 individual guest villas including bedroom, living room and bathroom.
Determined to minimize the carbon footprint as much as possible, Kish and his team developed an HVAC strategy for the villas.
"Donald Loria, the local architect, worked hard to incorporate natural ventilation and shade so guests didn't rely on air conditioning in every room. The contractors were careful not to cut down trees during the construction process so that we had natural cooling, coming from the abundant vegetation," Kish said. "However, we knew our customers wanted a comfortable environment in their bedrooms, so we placed ductless units and used large fans for each living room. The restaurant and clubhouse are open-air structures; the administration office is inside and has a ductless unit."
This HVAC design has proven to be beneficial for guests as well. "When you walk into most hotels, you can hear each unit working," said Luis Pardo, general manager of Hotel Olas Verdes. "When you go in here, there is no noise and you feel comfortable. In this industry, complaints about room temperature are always received, but since the opening of the Olas Verdes Hotel, guests actually tell us how much they like Mitsubishi Electric units!"
Pardo credits the fast cooling capability and quiet operation of the wall-mounted indoor units for the satisfaction of its guests. Utilizing Mitsubishi Electric's EB-50 centralized controller has also been a crucial tool for keeping energy consumption low and preventive maintenance.
Use of controls for convenience and efficiency
"HITEC was able to install intelligent control systems. From the administrative office we can manage each unit in the rooms and monitor how they are performing," Kish said. "If someone leaves their air conditioner on all day, we can easily turn it off without needing to go to their room. If someone selects a temperature that is too low, we can adjust it." Pardo also explained how the control systems helped them identify best practices for HVAC operation. "When we first opened, we assumed that most guests would want really cool rooms and reduced indoor units to 65 degrees. From monitoring the controls, we quickly realized that the units work so well that they were all too cold. Now, we set indoor units to 73 degrees and very rarely does a guest change the temperature during their stay. From every point of view, the use of Mitsubishi Electric air conditioning is a win-win scenario."
Commitment to eco-tourism
Since the inauguration in December 2015, Kish and the project team's commitment to energy efficiency has paid off. In 2016, Olas Verdes was the first surf hotel in the world to obtain a LEED platinum certification. They also hold the Costa Rica Sustainable Tourism Certification, which they renew every two years. Kish was also able to finally grant the STOKE certification to Olas Verdes and its associated surf school: this being the first hotel to obtain this accreditation in Central America.
By coupleing the high efficiency of the Zoned Comfort Solutions system with solar panels and battery storage, the hotel has also been successful in achieving its ultimate goal: maintaining a low energy charge.
Energy efficiency
Sphera, a Central American consulting agency for LEED-certified projects, works with Kish and hotel staff to monitor energy information. In a recent report, Kish noted that the hotel's highest daily energy consumption "may peak at 600 kWh during high occupancy and drop to 200 kWh during low demand." Sphera explained that these figures place the Olas Verdes Hotel at "40 percent more efficiency than the basic building performance rating," based on the Standard of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air- Conditioning Engineers, ASHRAE), which is the highest level of energy efficiency for LEED v3 new build requirements (2009).
By honoring the local landscape, Hotel Olas Verdes has made a great impression on other hospitality venues in the area, as well as guests. "This hotel is quite an experience," Pardo said. "With its design and construction, we want guests to feel connected to the jungle, the beach and the simplicity."
To highlight
Hotel Olas Verdes
- Challenge: A team in Costa Rica wanted to build a low-impact hotel with extremely low energy consumption
- Solution: Mitsubishi Electric Zoned Comfort Solutions
- Result: a hotel that meets the highest sustainable building certifications, including a leed platinum.
Installed equipment
15 MSZ-GE12NA – Indoor wall-mounted units
5 MXZ-8BNA – M Series Outdoor Units
1 EB-50 – Central Controller
Project Team
- General contractor (air conditioning designer and installer): HITEC, San Rafael, Costa Rica
- Project management: STOKE Certified, San Diego, California
- Architect: Garments Loria, Nosara, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
- Power control: Sphera, San Jose, Costa Rica
- Project Completed: December 2015
